In This Moment’s Maria Brink Talks Success of ‘Blood,’ ShipRocked 2014 + More

In This Moment have had incredible success with their latest album ‘Blood,’ which has sold 200,000 copies in the United States alone since being released in August 2012. They're rounding out 2013 with their headlining Hellpop Tour and will start 2014 with another leg of the trek (go here for dates).

During the band's headlining show at New York City’s Best Buy Theater, we sat down with frontwoman Maria Brink (in the best smelling dressing room ever, complete with incense and candles). She talked about the visual aspect of In This Moment’s performance and letting go of her fears and doubts as a musician, as well as her enthusiasm for ShipRocked 2014. Check out our interview with the Maria Brink below.

How has this headlining trek been going for you?

It’s amazing, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I worked so hard on the production and preparation for this tour. It took three weeks alone in dance rehearsals, production and full dress rehearsals. With all the hard work it’s just been really exciting. There’s a little bit of pressure, too, being the headliner. If it’s not a sold out show we feel responsible but if it is a sold out show then we’re like, “Yeah!” and celebrating. We’re going to give 100 percent no matter what.

I first saw you opening for Korn and Disturbed. For In This Moment, there’s been such an evolution In the stage production. Where do the ideas come from?

I think on our new album we wanted – well everything fell apart right before the ‘Blood’ album. I just wanted to raise the stakes and do everything I’ve ever wanted to do on this album and let go of fear or what people think we should or shouldn’t do or what’s cool or not cool. With the music, with the sound, with the way we express ourselves with our clothes, I just wanted to express visual performing arts onstage.

When I told my band members I wanted dancers, if you could see my guitar player’s face. He was like “What?” because in the pop world you see back-up dancers and performers. You don’t really see that ever in heavy metal. We fully perform now like that but I wanted to do it in a dirty, filthy, horror way. So it’s like taking these back-up dancers and performing with them but it’s dark almost like zombie moves.

We just wanted to create this and man did we work hard. And props, I can’t wait for you to see it. We have life-size syringes and big guns, it’s so fun. It’s a lot of work but it really pays off.

As a photographer, your set is a dream to shoot simply because there’s so much action going on at all times onstage.

I always look at our performance as if it was a still shot, I want it to look epic. Every move I do with the girls, with my hair in the wind, the smoke and the props – I want it to look almost like a movie when you’re watching our show. Something is always happening, with the scenes changing and all of these different emotions being invoked. I’m psychotic over it.

What are your thoughts on the success of ‘Blood’ the album?

Oh my gosh, I’m so grateful. I’ve been waiting for this forever, there’s almost like an excitement and a relief at the same time. For so many years, for so long I’ve been trying to do this and there’s always those moments of desperation. You’re afraid and you’re like, “Is this really not going to happen? This is all I know, this is all I’m passionate about.” I’m this artist and I live it too, I get so consumed and I get so scared.

Finally on this album, everything is coming together and exploding. Everything I’ve ever envisioned is happening. It’s crazy, there’s a lot going on, everything is moving really fast but when I can stop and soak it in, it’s really moving. We have a gratitude board on our bus and we all write things we’re grateful for all the time to keep us in that state of mind.

Of all of the bands you've toured with, is there one which had a long lasting impact on you?

There’s so many bands. I really try to find inspiration in all band’s I’ve toured with because everyone’s up there doing their own thing and captivating in different forms. We learn different things how this person does that or this person says that. Rob Zombie’s live show, because I love theatrics so much, Manson too, being able to play shows with them and see their shows is really inspiring.

I didn’t play with them, but all the way back to Michael Jackson and Madonna when I was young, when I looked at all that it was groundbreaking and exciting and explosive. I really try to focus on trying to have no fear and really trying to step it up.

How has a woman’s role in metal and hard rock changed since you’ve entered the business?

I think it’s always kind of been there. With rock 'n' roll, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, the Runaways, there was always that feminine spirit. In heavy metal is was definitely more rare especially when we started this, there was only Kittie and Arch Enemy, really not that many. There’s a lot more definitely coming to the surface. I think there are no rules and that’s what everyone needs to know. There’s only rules if you place rules on yourself.

I used to look at sometimes like, “Oh it’s harder for me because I’m a girl in this scene” and that’s not true at all. That was me just convincing myself that’s true, letting myself fall as a victim. It’s about art and expression of emotion with music. If it’s true and people get goosebumps, it doesn’t matter what your genitals are. If it’s real and it’s captivating then people know, that’s the important thing for people to just be honest with who they are and how they choose to express themselves.

In This Moment are set to rock ShipRocked 2014!

[Laughs] It’s a crazy, wild party of music, in the middle of the ocean! I think everyone just wants to let go of the world, fall into the ocean, dream and forget reality. We’re excited to do it again this year. We’ve done it three years, we love it. We keep going back, I heard there’s a new boat this year too which is exciting. I go every year and my mom and my grandma come. [Laughs] Seriously, my grandma’s like the oldest lady on ShipRocked every year. My grandma’s crazy.